Half-Empty, Half-full, Either Way it's Filled with Blood
by Breakable Dolls
Summary: Mai's power were active long before she worked at SPR. Post, Pre, and includes canon as canon. Warning: Slight Gore, Ghosts, The Spooks, Disturbing Images, Creepy Children,
1. Chapter 1

Half-Empty, Half-full, Either Way it's Filled with Blood

A/ at the bottom

Warning: Slight Gore, Ghosts, The Spooks, Disturbing Images, Creepy Children,

* * *

Mai Abasolo was born July third a healthy baby girl. She appeared to be normal up until the age of four. One day, she brought home an imaginary friend when she came inside from playing. For her age it wasn't that strange. Mai said her friend's name was Edochi Shinma.

After he came home she developed an interest in detective stories and police work. Her mother, Neoko, often took her to the library where Mai would come back with stacks of books much too complex for her age. Horacio, her father assumed she was only looking at the pictures. The librarian assumed that Mai's mother was allowing Mai to handle the books to teach about responsibility.

No one really paid attention to the books she was checking out. It wasn't until her parents heard her mumbling about Katsuta Kiyotaka that they started to worry. They asked her where she had heard that name.

"Edochi-san read to me what he did. He even explained the big words to me!" Mai grinned widely at her parents.

An exorcist was soon called in. Mai cried for months asking for her friend back.

* * *

When Mai was five she was enrolled in school. She had trouble making friends. He other children insisted there was something "freaky' about her. No one would work with her, if the teacher made a them, they would refuse to touch her. When the kids went outside to play some would throw rocks or clods of dirt at her. Mai quickly learned to stay inside and read. She continued her habit of reading crime related books. Even if she couldn't understand all the words her time with Edochi-san had helped improve her comprehension at a startling rate.

At home Mai could be found playing outside happily; she often played pretend. In the daylight Mai was care free, but at night the same could not be said. She slept with a nightlight and sobs could be heard from her room almost every night. Mai would get up in the morning with dark circles under her eyes. The lack of sleep caused her to fall asleep in class.

* * *

Mai was six when her father died. She knew exactly how it happened. No one told her; she dreamt it. It was only six months after his death that she had her dream. She was behind a teller's window at a bank. A man walked up to Mai or rather Horacio and demand that money be placed in a bag. Horacio calmly pushed a button under the desk he was sitting. Alarms went off. A deafening bang then pain, pain, pain and Mai woke up.

She tried telling her mother about it, but she refused to listen.

"Mommy! Please just… listen!" Mai shouted with tears in her eyes.

"I don't want to! I refuse to listen to it! How do you even know Mai? Who told you?" Neoko screamed at her daughter, gripping her shoulders shaking slightly.

* * *

Mai's school life continued to be painfully lonesome. Up until junior high school when Mai met a teacher that believed her. Oki-sensei was a well like teacher by both students and staff. She was taken-aback by how Mai was treated. Openly bullied in front of teachers and no one did anything. Neoko didn't have the time to spare to take in up with school board. Oki-sensei was willing to protect Mai from the bullies. She was willing to face the social backlash of doing so.

Mai was a second year in junior High when her mother collapsed due to over work. Mai stayed with Oki-sensei for the duration of the hospital stay. Only for Neoko to be readmitted for stage four breast cancer. There was nothing to be done; she died three months later.

Mai lived with Oki-sensei for the rest of her junior high before moving to Tokyo where she had been accepted into a high school. Before she left she made up her mind.

 _I will be normal._

* * *

As before I'm testing the waters with this because I'm a wimp. I don't know where I'm going with this. Help me. I hope I won't write Mai as OP I swear.

I thought of Mai showing powers at a young age because of that scene where she gets 0 out of 0 in her test thing…

She wanted to not get them right. She was happy she didn't get them right. Why? And thus this was born

Mai is half Japanese half Spanish because of her eyes. Even compare to Masako, who's the same age, she has large eyes. So I thought maybe she's only half Japanese. Plus It adds another meaning to the scene in The Bloodstained Labyrinth Arc. I've seen Mai as part American, Swedish, and British. I wanted to have an ethnicity that wasn't so… I don't know. But just so you know… Mai has dark skin. Well darker than the "creamy pale skin" that seems to be going on. Screw that! No offence to those that do write that line or some variant. But like our beautiful, adorable, Mai with dark skin that's it. Just Mai being Mai.

Oh right, so the name for Edochi Shinma was from _Case Closed_ the _Shin_ part and the _Edo_ part. While the _Chi_ part is from _Keniachi_ or something? The Ma is from _Q.E.D._ all of which are detective Manga/Anime.

The name Katsuta Kiyotaka is an actual criminal. In 1983 he was arrested for a robbery-murder. However he was suspected of a total of 22 murders later, and he admitted to eight murders. Katsuta was executed in 2000.


	2. Chapter 2

Half-Empty, Half-full, Either Way it's Filled with Blood

A/n at the bottom

Warning: Slight Gore, Ghosts, The Spooks, Disturbing Images, Creepy Teenagers,

 **A big thanks to for helping me with the Spanish corrections.**

* * *

The first step to being normal was changing her surname in Mai's opinion. Abasolo became Taniyama, her mother's maiden name. She didn't have a lot of money so a job was a must. Mai begin searching. She settled on a coffee shop tea house combination. She was hired almost immediately. Oki-sensei was a worry-wart and insisted staying with Mai until she had to go back to teaching.

* * *

Mai first year of high school was eventful for her. She made two friends that were actually alive. Keiko and Michiru were ghost story fanatics and loved listening to Mai tell them. Mai on the other hand hated telling the stories. Mostly because they all were either based on her dreams or something she had experienced. The two girls never seemed to notice.

Mai had to deal with annoying customers at her work. Attempted skirt flips, wandering hands, there was a reason the shop was so eager for a worker. Still, Mai need the money and was really only good at making hot beverages. Also the tea and coffee shop was close to her apartment.

Mai's apartment was a rather dingy looking thing. There was one bedroom, a bathroom, one closet, and a kitchenette-living room. There rooms had yellowed walls, a disgusting brown carpet that looked like it had been there since the building was new, and leaky faucets. A block down from the complex was a laundromat and a convenience store.

The block in between the apartment complex and the convenience store laundromat was fill to the brim with ghosts. Mai couldn't get a package of cup ramen without being bombarded with pleas for help. She didn't want to ignore them, but the jeers of "freak" "creepy murder girl" and "go die" rung in her head. A flash of words scrawled on her desk and flower placed on it. Mai didn't want to face treatment like that every again. So she plug her ears, lowered her eyes and kept her mouth shut.

* * *

Only sometimes that didn't work and the spirits could tell when Mai could see them. Mai wasn't clumsy; she actually had as much grace as her name suggested. However, She would be pushed, clawed, and bruised by spirits so often she just said she tripped. Mai started to purposely trip in front of people to continue the cover.

Mai's dreams were no longer safe. She were dream of death every night; most nights Mai got to directly experience it. Drowning, gunfights, stabbed, bludgeoned, hit-and-run, suicide, Mai felt it all. She would wake up at night with a scream caught in her throat. Mai learned pretty quickly how to cover up eye bags.

The end of the year came and so did finals. Keiko made it in the top fifty, MIchiru the top 100, and Mai made it in the top ten.

* * *

In late April Keiko, Mai, and MIchiru were telling ghost stories after school.

"The girl heard a scratching on her door.'Please let me in. He'll get me if You don't,' The girl opened her bedroom door and there stood her ex-boyfriend. Covered in burn scars, broken, bloody fingernails, and empty sockets were his eyes should be. 'I found you' The girl started to cry "Please you've been dead for six years, stop!'" Mai changed her voice to suit each character.

The other two girls let out a shriek.

"Mai! Why are you stories so scary!" Keiko pouted, "Our are always lame compared to your's."

"Anyway, it's my turn," Michiru began to spin a story about the school's old abandoned building. Mai only half listened knowing the story was fake.

"Okay, ready… One" Michiru started.

"Two" Mai followed.

"Three" Keiko voice held a tremor of fear.

"Four" a male's voice rang out through the classroom.

Keiko and Michiru screamed and grabbed Mai nearly strangling her in the process.

W-who's there?" Keiko stuttered

A teenager around the girl's age flicked on the lights. He had pale skin, dark clothes that weren't the school uniform, and a fake smile. He was rather handsome. Keiko and Michiru fell over themselves to get to him.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Shibuya Kazuya," the teen answered.

"Hey, what grade are you in?" Keiko asked flirtatiously.

Another fake smile, "I'm seventeen."

Keiko and Michiru were soon squeaking all about themselves and feeding Shibuya all the information he could ever need about the school building.

 _Él no dio una respuesta adecuada! No es un estudiante de nuestra escuela! ¿Por qué le llamas Shibuya-senpai? Él no lleva el uniforme escolar, no dijo qué grado estaba en, y le dijo a su edad!"*_

The three continued to have a one sided conversation. While Mai screamed reasons not to trust the young man in her head.

"...and you?"

Mai head snapped up, "Q- What?"

"Jeez Mai pay attention! Shibuya-senpai was asking if you knew anything else about the school building."

Mai didn't look at "Shibuya-senpai." "I only know what they know."

Michiru and Keiko gaped at Mai as she went through the other door to the hallway.**

* * *

Mai made her way to school enjoying the cherry blossom trees. She felt compelled to look at the old school building. Mai peered into the building inside there was a camera, a very expensive looking camera. Mai went into the building.

"¿Alguien lo dejo aqui?"*** Mai muttered to herself.

"Who's there?" someone asked.

"Ah! Sorry I'll leave now…" Mai started to back away from the camera and bumped into a shelf.

The shelf wobbled and tipped over nearly falling on Mai and most certainly crushing the camera. Mai looked around the shelf had caused a domino effect and a man the one she assumed had called out before had been crushed.

"What happened?" it was "Shibuya-senpai.

Mai tried to explain what happened, but couldn't seem to get the words out. Shibuya was able to infer what happened.

"Where's the nearest hospital?"

"There's one right by the school entrance."

Mai offered to help, but the injured man slapped her hand away,"Thank you, but no thanks."

Shibuya looked at Mai,"What's your name?"

"Why?" Mai huffed, "I have to get to class." She stomped out of the building feeling guilty.

* * *

Mai packed up her bag after school.

"Mai aren't you coming with to tell stories with Shibuya-senpai?" Keiko asked, grabbing her bag

"No, I have work." Mai responded curtly, still in a bad mood from the morning.

"Man your parents must be super strict!" Michiru whined flopping across her desk.

"Something like that."

"Excuse me…"

"Oh Kuroda-san we were just-" Keiko smiled.

"What were you just talking about." Kuroda cut her off.

"We're going to tell ghost stories." Michiru huffed at the girl.

"GHOST STORIES!" the normally quiet girl shouted.

There was a knock on the door and there in a his fake smiling glory was Shibuya. "Is this Taniyama-san's class?"

 _Descubierta._ Mai backed away slightly. _Nisiquiera le dije mi nombre****_

"What grade are you in? Why are you here?" Kuroda demanded to know.

"I'm here to tell ghost stories with the girls."

 _No nos dijo en cual grado se encuentra!*****_

Kuroda went on a rant about how the ghost stories gave her headaches or something like that. Shibuya countered all of her words with logical facts. Mai was certain that Kuroda was making thing up. She was also pretty sure she should be getting to work, but watching the verbal spar seemed much more entertaining than getting harassed so she stayed. After the argument between Kuroda and Shibuya neither Keiko nor Michiru were every interested in telling stories.

"Oh, ah, Taniyama-san, can I talk to you for a sec?" Shibuya asked from the doorway.

 _¿Qué tal, ¿no?******_ "Um...sure?"

* * *

So I used the website www . translate . com (remove spaces) I don't know if this is an accurate site? But, hey anything is better than google translate.

Someone told me the Spainish is distracting. However, this is one of the ways Mai honnors her father so it's staying. The next one will show up in the next chapter.

Now for the translations.

* _Él no dio una respuesta adecuada! No es un estudiante de nuestra escuela! ¿Por qué le llamas Shibuya estudiantes? Él no lleva el uniforme escolar, no dijo qué grado estaba en, y le dijo a su edad!" -_ basically pointing out Naru isn't a student he isn't wearing a uniform, he didn't tell them what grade he was in only his age so why are you calling him senpai

**Michiru and Keiko gaped at Mai as she went through the other door to the hallway. -This is more Mai speaking in a very informal/rude manner to someone that's older who she's just met, big no-no

***"¿Alguien dejarlo aquí?"- did someone leave it here, referring to the camera that gets broken

 _****Que he encontrado._ Mai backed away slightly. _Incluso le dije mi nombre._ -I've been found… I didn't even tell him my name

 _*****No nos dijo en qué grado se encuentra en_ \- he hasn't told us what grade he's in

 _******¿Qué tal, ¿no?- how about, no?_


	3. Chapter 3

Half-Empty, Half-full, Either Way it's Filled with Blood

A/n at the bottom

Warning: Slight Gore, Ghosts, The Spooks, Disturbing Images, Creepy Children, Adults

being Mean to Children

 **Once again big "Thank you" to .**

* * *

Oliver Davis, known as Shibuya Kazuya in Japan wasn't sure what to make of this girl, Taniyama Mai. She had a darker skin pigment than most Japanese. Her hair was cut in a short, practical, bob, Compared to the girls Taniyama kept company with she seemed to stand out. Taniyama had more presence than them. She didn't simply fall over herself because of his looks as most tended to do. In fact she appeared to be wary of him.

The second time they met he was more concerned with Lin than Taniyama. She seemed be shaken by what happened, not with fear, but with guilt. She offered to help, unsurprisingly Lin denied the offer. Then, when Oliver began to fish for information she ran off.

The third time they met Oliver easily made her his replacement assistant. She was rather expressive when she knew a little bit more about him, like the fact that he was the boss not Lin. That he was hired by the school to investigate the abandoned school building.

Taniyama was a surprisingly good worker for how reluctant she was to help. It was rather obnoxious to have to explain things Oliver had known since he was eight. She was also rather annoying.

* * *

"So Shibuya-senpai wasn't really a transfer student!" both Keiko and MIchiru exclaimed, slamming their hands on Mai's desk.

Mai only rolled her eyes at her friends as to her, that was obvious.

"Taniyama-san, I heard he came here to do research on the old school building. So is he a psychic?" Kuroda asked, eavesdropping on Mai's conversation.

Mai let out a sigh," He says he's not a psychic, that he's a ghost hunter, but I don't know the difference soo…"

Kuroda's eyes had a strange sort of glint in them,"Taniyama-san can you introduce me to him? You know I'm a psychic, right? Maybe I can help him."

Mai bit her lip thinking,"I… I don't think Naru would like. He's very pompous and seems like the type to not ask for help even if he needed it. Especially not someone who isn't directly employed by him. I'm only doing physical labor."

Kuroda made a show of turning around and stomping to her desk. _Tal vez ella necesita tomar leche para mejorar su actitud._ _*_

"Hey what's with the nickname?" Keiko raised her eyebrow.

"Well to put it simply. He's a giant narcissist!" He kept going on about how much smarter he was than me. Even though I only just started learning about this stuff yesterday!" Mai pouted and slumped over onto the desk.

* * *

"Hello... What are you doing?" Mai asked as entered what Naru had declared as "headquarters" the day before.

"Reviewing the data we collected yesterday." Naru didn't even look up from his clipboard.

"Well this is some pretty fancy equipment for a kid."

Mai whipped around.

"I'm Matsuzaki Ayako. Nice to meet you." a stunningly beautiful woman smirked. She had red-brown hair, was in a 1970's style skirt suit, and impeccably done makeup.

Naru sneered, "I didn't ask for your name."

"You're pretty sassy little boy. Too bad you can't exorcise spirits with that tongue of yours." Matsuzaki held an air of general smugness.

"You're in the same business?" Naru looked utterly unimpressed.

Matsuzaki crossed her arms,"You could say that… I'm a miko."

A extremely fake looking smile crossed Naru's face." I thought you had to be pure and innocent to be a miko. For starters I'd say you're far too old to be a miko."

The man behind Matsuzaki that Mai failed to notice before burst into laughter. He had long hair tied in a low ponytail, old worn jeans, a fairly new turtleneck, and a brand new jacket.

"Who are you? Her assistant, you don't act like it." Naru sent a glare to the man.

The man stopped laughing,"I'm Houshou Takigawa, a monk from Koya mountain."

"Monks can have long hair now?" Naru snorted incredulously.

"He's an outlaw." the miko hissed in conspiracy.

"I'm only taking a break" Houshou defened.

"Whatever. Anyway kiddos play time over it's time for the adults to take over. The principal told me he didn't have any confidence in you. Now I see why, a seventeen year old. He thought your company was trustworthy, but when he found out your age he called people who actually knows what they're doing. But really, calling in so many people for some crappy old school building" Matsuzuki said in a conceited manner.

"Too true," Houshou agreed,"I'll be enough."

"We'll see," Matsuzuki huffed.

"By the way," both adults looked at Naru,"What's your name?"

"Shibuya Kazuya."

"Never heard of you." the monk claimed, "Must be a third rate."

Matsuzuki snorted, "I've never heard of you. Does that mean you third rate too?"

Houshou sputtered, unable to regain his face. Naru had already turned back to his clipboard and was glancing up at one of the many screens in the room occasionally.

¿Son todos los psiquicos asi de egoistas? _**_

"Ah Taniyama-san you are here!" It was Kuroda.

 _Realmente no puedo tratar con personas como ella.***_ Mai closed her eyes and prepared herself.

"Who are these people?" Kuroda asked as she ogled Matsuzuki and Houshou.

"More hired help because our principal insist on wasting tax money. A miko and a monk." Mai sighed more at the idea of her hard earned money going to such snobs.

Kuroda instantly looked relieved," Thank goodness, this building is a nest for evil."

Matsuzuki snarled,"You crave attention don't you. Do you want to be in the spotlight that bad? You want attention that much?"

Mai watched Kuroda flinch back. "Don't talk to her like that!"

"It's not like she's really a psychic."

"How dare you! I really do have psychic powers! I'll prove it to you. I'll place a spell on you" The dark haired teenager hissed.

"Kuroda-san!" Mai called out to her as she stomped away.

"Really, you shouldn't have done that." Mai looked at the miko.

"Don't tell me believe that brat!"

"No matter what I believe, I have never met anything in my entire life more vindictive that a teenager that feels they have been wronged. Good luck," Mai turned to Naru," Naru is there anything you want me to do?"

Her boss turned around,"What did you call me?"

"Oh, um...Naru" Mai rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment

"Where did you hear that?" Naru's voice was still sharp

"So people have called you 'Naru' before I'm not surprised, narcissistic Naru-chan. Anyway what are we doing today?" Mai repeated her question.

"Mai, do you not which room the human silhouette was seen?" Naru looked at his horde of cameras and microphones.

"You called me by my first name… um… if I'm remembering correctly it was the far west corner of the building on the...second floor." Mai answered.

"Then we'll start by setting up there."

Mai turned around and noticed to figures walking toward the building. "Is that the principal and… a foreigner?"

Mai peered further out the window.

"If you keep doing that you're going to fall out." Naru said from behind startling Mai and making her hit her head on the window sill.

"Naru,"Mai was going to berate him when he shoved a microphone and a stand in her hands.

"If you're so curious about them. It's a good thing that we're going to have pass the main entrance" Naru rolled his eyes as he headed out the door with and infrared camera in tow.

"Hey wait!" Mai called readjusting the heavy electronic in her hand.

* * *

By the time Mai and Naru got downstairs introductions we're already being made.

"Ah Shibuya-san.. and Taniyama-san?" the principal waved the two over, "This is Brown, John. He'll be joining you today."

"I'll be in your care." Brown bowed as he spoke in a Kyoto dialect.

The miko and monk burst into giggles that they tried to contain.

"Brown-san where are from?" Naru asked.

"I'm from Australia." the foreigner replied

"You know… you don't have to speak... quite so formally," Houshou managed to get out between his snorts of laughter.

"I'll try to speak more casually. Are all of you psychics?" Brown asked looking at the the group.

"Something like that," Naru smiled, "and you?"

"I'm an exorcist." Brown returned the smile.

That made Houshou and Matsuzuki straighten up.

"I'm sorry if this seems rude, Father Brown," the group turned to look at Mai,"but aren't you extremely young to be an exorcist?"

"I may look young. But I actually nineteen." Brown answered.

Mai's eyes narrowed,"In order to be a certified exorcist by the Catholic Church you have to be at least twenty-five. Before you can perform any exorcism you have to consult The Church so if you are a certified exorcist you wouldn't be able to cleanse this building without The Church's permission."****

The group stared at Mai.

"I'm surprised you know that. It isn't common knowledge." Brown said still polite as ever,"Due to special circumstances I was given a permit by the pope allows he to perform exorcisms when I deem necessary."*****

Mai stared the priest down,"Well, you aren't lying. I can usually tell when someone's flat out lying, unless they, themselves believe the lie they're telling. I have a microphone to set up."

* * *

After setting up the camera and microphone Mai and Naru headed back to "HQ" with the rest of the investigators.

"Do you really need this much equipment?" Houshou asked as he barged into the room.

Matsuzuki began to make similar comments.

"Are you two here to play around or find ghosts?" Naru tone held a scum-of-the-Earth felling to it.

The monk and milo stormed out of the room, but Brown paused.

"Shouldn't we work together? I feel a bit awkward, Would you mind if I stay here and help you two?"

"Please do."

"Hey Naru what's this…" Mai stopped talking when she was met with a glare that could freeze the sun.

"What's what Taniyama-san?" Brown moved closer to see what Mai was pointing at." I think this is a thermographic, warm color represent warmer temperature, and cool color represent colder temperatures."

"I see. Thank you Father Brown and I'm sorry I was so rude and accused you in such a manner. My father was a devout Catholic and to honor him I try to keep up with the religion." Mai smiled sheepishly

"Oh, do you have a favorite verse? Also you can call me John, in fact I'd prefer it." John blushed slightly.

"Rather than memorising verses I like analyzing them and if I can call you John call me Mai." Mai turned to the monitors"Naru!"

On the screen was a beautiful girl about Mai's age. She wore a traditional kimono and gave off an otherworldly feel even from the monitors.

Then there was the sound of the "HQ" door opening. There was the girl; Mai flung herself into John's arms.

"Mai… that's not a ghost." John reassured the her while gently patting her arm.

"The principal must want to demolish this building pretty bad if he called you here" Naru said unfazed by the girl's appearance.

"You know her." Mai exclaimed flailing her hand from John's arms. Then she stopped

 _Alguien está en peligro******_

A scream echoed through the building.

Everyone went towards the origin of the sound. It was Matsuzaki she was stuck behind the door. Screaming at people to open the door. Naru and Houshou both tried opening the door.

"Hold on Ayako I'm going to kick to door in!" Houshou shouted already lifting his leg into position.

"Don't call me by my first name!" the miko called back.

"Hold on a moment." the screaming stopped.

Mai walked up to the door running her fingers along all the sides of the doorframe. At the bottom edge of the door she paused "Aha! Naru do you have a hammer in your things?"

"No."

"Never mind then. Oh! It came out pretty easily." Mai stood up from where her had been crouched and pulled open the door.

Matsuzuki stared at her. Mai clicked her tongue,"Matsuzaki-san what did I tell you?" She asked one hand on her hip the other waving something in front of the woman's face."

* * *

The group of investigators went back to the "HQ"

"Honestly, that fake psychic brat! I should sue her!" the miko huffed flopping onto a chair and taking a swig of the tea Mai had bought for herself after school.

Mai gave the adult an unimpressed look,"You should take responsibility for your actions too. Even if it was Kuroda-san who did it. You provoked her. Regardless of psychic abilities existent or not. You looked a obviously self-conscious, sixteen year old, school girl, most likely with a inferiority complex, dead in the eye and called her a liar. Especially if she doesn't have the power she claims to because that means she's delusional. There is next to nothing more dangerous than someone protecting their delusion."

Once again Mai was the victim of stares. She began to fidget, "W-what? Why are you guys giving me those looks for?"

"Well, it isn't exactly normal for a sixteen year old to start spouting off a delusions." Houshou scratched the back of his head.

"Really?", Mai blinked and looked at each face in the room. "I remember reading about the motive behind committing crimes from a very young age. I found it fascinating. I still do, but I get weird looks when I read them in public. So, I don't really do that anymore."

The room was silent all eyes were on Mai. She turned her head and saw outside. _La excusa perfecta.*******_ "Wow, look how dark it is. I have school in the morning. I should get home"

"Mai, come here right after school." Naru said simply.

* * *

I know what you're thinking and yes this is slight canon divergence. For good reason 1 Due to reading so many crime books Mai has picked up a few tricks. 2 First Arc Ayako needs to be taken down a peg or two. 3 Mai doesn't do a whole lot in the first arc and sure that's great a Mai that is unaware of her powers, but for this Mai, not so much. She may not know the technical terms, but she can hold out against spirits for a while and know how to identify when they're there even if she can't see them.

Why doesn't Mai remember Edochi-san?

You don't start retaining memories until age seven. You may remember certain feelings ie: holding you father's hand. But you can't properly remember full memories. So Mai may not remember why she started reading true crime book, but she knew she liked reading them. She got an entire bookshelf dedicated to them.

Translations

 _*Tal vez ella necesita tomar leche para mejorar su actitud.-_ maybe she needs to drink more milk to improve her attitude I pretty sure his has to due with calcium and high blood pressure? Or something I don't remember where I read it, but it suits Kuroda

** _¿Son todo psíquico este egoísta?-_ Are all psychic this egotistical?

 _***Realmente no puedo tratar con personas como ella.-_ I really can't deal with people like her

****In order to be a certified exorcist by the Catholic Church you have to be at least twenty-five. Before you can perform any exorcism you have to consult The Church so if you are a certified exorcist you wouldn't be able to cleanse this building without The Church's permission. -These are real things

*****I'm surprised you know that. It isn't common knowledge." Brown said still polite as ever,"Due to special circumstances I was given a permit by the pope allows he to perform exorcisms when I deem necessary- 100% fake made up BS

 _******Alguien está en peligro -_ someone's in danger

******* _La excusa perfecta. -_ the perfect excuse


	4. Chapter 4

Half-Empty, Half-full, Either Way it's Filled with Blood

A/ at the bottom

Warning: Slight Gore, Ghosts, The Spooks, Disturbing Images, Creepy Teenagers,

* * *

When Mai walked into HQ Kuroda was already there. Standing in front of the monitors.

"What are you doing in here?" Mai peered around the room, looking for Naru.

"Nothing really… Just looking around. Is Shibuya-san here?" Kuroda stared at the screens.

Mai began unpacking a thermos,"No, not yet."

Kuroda looked over at Mai before running a finger along one of the many buttons on the the computer. "How did it go yesterday, after I left?"

"Nothing new… At least as far as I could tell. Umm… I don't think you should mess with that Naru's pretty possessive of the equipment." Mai paused in the unpacking of her snacks to look at Kuroda.

In a instant Kuroda's arms were crossed defensively, "Anything else?"

Mai stared Kuroda down,"No… not that I'm aware of. As far as I know there are no spirits here" Mai smiled.

"There are," Kuroda snarled," I was just attacked not too long ago. I was walking in the hallway and something pulled my hair for behind. I tried to run away, but it started to choke I could have sworn I heard it say something"

Mai couldn't tell if Kuroda was lying. "Are you okay?", Mai rushed over to Kuroda. She tilted the dark haired girl's chin up turning to see her neck.

The closeness brought a blush to both teen's face.

"What's going on?" Naru decided to appear.

Kuroda pushed Mai back slightly and retold her story.

"When did it happen?" Somehow Naru already had a notebook out and was writing down Kuroda's testimony word for word in English.

"Just now." Kuroda's eye wandered to monitor.

"Then we can pull the footage, where were you?" Naru began clicking on videos.

"The second floor hallway." Kuroda pushed her glasses up.

Mai watched Kuroda enter the building and wonder around. Eventually she went towards the second floor hallway, but when she go there the footage cut out.

"Is… is it broken?" Mai resisted the urge to poke at the screen.

"Everything is operating as it should and the camera shouldn't be broken. This is very interesting." Naru scrutinized the buzzing static.

"Why?" Mai headed back to the table and continued pulling snacks out of her bag.

"When a spirit appears suddenly the machine stops working properly. I wonder if this was caused by a spirit, or trouble with the radio waves, or…" Naru didn't seem to be talking to Mai any more and just mumbling out his thoughts. Naru turned to Kuroda. "You said you heard a voice. What did it sound like?""

"It was female, but it was also really hoarse." Kuroda placed a hand to her chin in thought.

For a moment Mai felt she was lying, but the feeling quickly faded.

 _*Raro_

Mai finished taking out the snack which cover a good majority of the table. "Didn't Masako say there no spirits?" Mai popped a milk candy into her mouth.

Naru raised an eyebrow and started to take note of what kind of food was there. "It's not uncommon for a female medium to have a bad day once in awhile. I thought I could rely on her talent, or… Let's say there really is a spirit here. Perhaps, Kuroda-san and the spirit are on the same wavelength." Naru plucked a bag of salted almonds from the pile,"Maybe that's why she can sense it and Hara-san can't."

Mai looked her peer there was something about Kuroda's face that made Mai stomach drop in trepidation.

* * *

When the other investigator showed up Mai shared the conversation Kuroda, Naru and she had had with John. John in turn told Houshou who let slip to Matsuzaki who insisted it was a Chirei or a land spirit. Matsuzaki also seemed to want to make a big deal about the exorcism she was going to perform because she had the principal and two other teachers.

Matsuzuki smirked,"Pay attention. I'll exorcise it, no problem."

"I wonder if she really can I guess I'll stay to check it out." Houshou made himself comfortable and leaned against a wall behind where Matsuzaki was playing Miko.

Naru popped a few almonds in his mouth,"I've never a shinto style exorcism. I guess I'll check it out too."

Matsuzaki began to chant some sort of of mantra. Waving what looked to be a stick with confetti tied at the end Matsuzaki looked rather ridiculous, but Mai was never one to be rude about someone else religion.

"What she saying?" Mai looks a Naru who is finishing off the last of his almonds.

Naru sent Mai a scathing look," Be quiet. Aren't you Japanese? Don't you know about Norito?"

Mai huffed and leaned into Naru's personal space." First of all, no, technically I'm not Japanese. I'm only half. Second of all I practice Catholicism and third of all I don't know what Norito is as I have never practiced any other religion beside what my dad did. My mom was an atheist. And these are my almonds." Mai hissed in an angry whisper.

Naru looked taken aback,"Norito is a ritual prayer offered to a Shinto God." he handed Mai the empty almond bag. "Do you want them back?" He grinned condescendingly.

Mai glared up at him _._ "**Cabrón."

Naru's face scrunched up in confusion giving Mai a satisfied feeling. Then all the window in the room blew inwards. Kuroda began snarking off to Matsuzaki.

* * *

Feeling utterly useless Mai headed back to HQ. *** _Puedo ver espíritus, pero no ir buscando a ellos. Cómo puedo saber si hay cualquier._ She stared at the monitors helplessly watching the investigators argue among themselves. Naru entered the room.

"What's in the thermos?" he meandered over to the table.

Mai sighed and turned her head to face him looking incredibly bored. She stared at him, "It's black tea, but I'm pretty sure the leaves are old. It's got a weird favor or maybe I just let it steep too long…" Mai looked back at the monitors,"Wait… that chair wasn't there before." Mai leaned in closer to the monitor squinting at the offending furniture.

Naru came up behind her and leaned closer to using the chair Mai was sitting in to steady his weight. The rest on the investigators walk into the HQ.

Naru took a gulp of the tea. He wrinkled his nose."It's well made, but the leaves are definitely old." He turned the the group,"Did any of you go into the room in the far west corner of the building?"

The whole group gave some form of a negative reply. Naru began to viciously type of the keyboard, pulling up the camera's video and rewinding it until he get to the moments before the chair's mysterious movement. He presses play. There's the sound of glass shattering then the chair slides across the floor as if it was being pulled by some strange force.

"What was that?" Mai gaped at the screen unable to comprehension what had happened. She had seen spirit do things like that and sure for someone who couldn't see spirits that any activity caused by a ghost would look something like this. But Mai could see spirits and she didn't see one pulling the chair.

"It's a poltergeist,"Mai jumped she forgot Kuroda was with them,"I think it means loud make objects move and noises. Right Shibuya-san?"

"You're absolutely correct, except about one thing. This wasn't caused by a poltergeist. If it was the chair would register as abnormally warm on the thermal imaging cameras, but it doesn't. Also we're only hit two of the nine classifications of a poltergeist, moving objects and breaking glass." Naru looked over at Mai daring her to ask about the other characteristics; she didn't.

Mai bit her lip eyes flitting in between Naru and Kuroda. Her eye's finally settle on Kuroda's neck, a bruise still hasn't formed. As someone who got a lot of bumps, bruises, scars, and other sorts of injuries from encounters with the ghostly kind Mai knew that the should have been a ring of park purple bruising around Kuroda's neck. _¿Decir que Kuroda fue mentira?****_

* * *

Houshou collapsed into one of the rickety chairs,"So, what do we do now?"

"Well...Masako-chan, what would you say?" John asked turning to face the medium.

"I would say she's paranoid." Masako stated simply.

Knowing what was coming Mai flinched.

"WHY DON'T YOU ADMIT IT ALREADY? THERE ARE Evil SPIRITS HERE!" Kuroda screamed at Masako.

Masako merely started to calmly left the room with a,"I'm going to check inside again."

Matsuzaki crossed her arms,"Why don't you admit you made a mistake?"

The teen spun around and with a venomous insistence,"There are not spirits here." before leaving down the hallway.

Ai began to snack on some salted and dried seaweed while Naru verbally smacked down Matsuzaki and to a smaller extent Kuroda.

 _¿Qué es ese ruido?*****_ There was a soft rapping noise that progressively began to get louder. Then cracks and fracture spread along the blackboard in the room. Just barely Mai was able to make a scream out from the rapping. Mai ran out of the room knowing the only person it could have been was Masako.

Mai looked her gut instinct to take over she ran out of the school building. Not too far from the entrance was Masako who it looked like she had fallen from the second floor. Mai whipped out her phone and punched in "119." Not too long after Naru appeared.

The ambulance arrived and Masako gripped Naru's arm,"It was my own stupidity. It was an accident. There are no spirits."

* * *

"I think she's just being stubborn. I still think there are spirits here or maybe worse." Matsuzaki insisted," Spirits that escape exorcism are as dangerous as a wild beast and then they become extremely violent."

"Then, isn't it _your_ fault that Masako was injured." Mai glared at the supposed miko.

"WHAT!" Matsuzaki sent a glared just as strong back.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Naru rolled his eye once again looking at the snacks on the table,"As far as I can tell from the tape it was a genuine accident."

"Then… there has to be a logical explanation for all this. But because of all of this the building is still considered haunted or cursed. How did those objects move on there own? That's what doesn't make sense." Mai felt sick to her stomach and completely useless.

"That's exactly right. There's something fishy here that doesn't make sense. There's absolutely no reaction from our equipment." Naru face was scrunched up in thought," The temperature and ion counts are stable. The amount of static is normal. All of the data shows absolute normality."

"What about me getting attacked! The video getting cut off, glass breaking, blackboards cracking. What about that chair moving!" Kuroda made grabbing motion at her neck.

"When did you get attacked?" Matsuzaki scoffed.

"That's why I said it doesn't make-" Naru paused when his eye landed on Mai.

Mai was smiling rather beautifully," Kuroda," Mai practically glided toward the girl," the thing is…" Mai tilted the girl's neck up and run a finger along it,"You don't even have a red mark. By now your neck should be a rather splotchy red, but it's pale."

The group flushed at the sensual movement displayed.

Kuroda bulked back, trembling slightly," I… I don't know what you mean…"

"Hm… I suppose you wouldn't," Mai smiled her normal cheery smile, quickly removing her hands, "Never mind what I said. I'm sure that the bruise just hasn't formed yet."

The group was silent for a moment before Naru spoke again,"Houshou, what do you think it is?"

"Jibakurei, of course"

"And you, John?"

"I'm not sure, but I agree, it's dangerous."

"What about you?" Matsuzaki shot back.

"I'll share my findings later. I want to look at this from a different perspective. I need to go to the van. Mai, look after the equipment. That mike is connected to the van so if anything happens tell me." Naru gestured to a microphone slightly separate from the others.

"O..okay." Mai watched as her boss walked out of the room.

Houshou scoffed,"I'm not sure about him. His equipment looks expensive and all, but I wonder if he really knows what he's doing."

John smiled,"Well I…" he held up his bible.

"Oh! Are you going to preform an exorcism? Can I help?" Mai had stars in her eyes.

"No thank you, but once I start praying watch the screens. You may see some activity." John waved Mai off.

"...Sure…" Mai mumbled plopping down in a chair in front of the monitors. Static formed on the monitor screens. Mai scrambled for the microphone,"Naru! The screen is all static!"

Mai heard a sigh from a speaker," That's because it's getting dark. The cameras are switching over to night vision. How's everything else?"

"Well, John's about to start an exorcism."

Kuroda, Matsuzaki, Houshou, and Mai crowded around the monitor.

John began to sprinkle holy water and saying his prayers.

"What's he saying?" Kuroda asked.

Mai reached for the volume dial and turned it to the right. The rapping sound returned. Then Mai heard it, the sound of creaking floor boards. She booked it out of the room and into the lobby as fast as she could.

"Really, again?" Houshou groaned.

Mai skidded into the lobby "JOHN, HURRY! THE CEILING IS FALLING!"

The ceiling started creaking the wood bending. Mai didn't pause for a moment. She ran and pushed John out of the way just in time. Wood, splinters, nails and debris rained down.

* * *

Sorry about this being so late. Um… This chapter is okay my satisfied enough to post it so…

Me adding things that didn't happen? What? What's with seductive Mai? You'll see.

Translations

 _Raro*- rare (or weird I hope)_

Cabrón**- dumbass

 _Puedo ver espíritus, pero no ir buscando a ellos._ _¿_ _Cómo puedo saber si hay cualquier?***-_ _I can see spirits, but don't go looking for them. How can I tell if there are any?_

 _¿Decir que Kuroda fue mentira?****-Did that mean Kuroda was lying?_

 _¿Qué es ese ruido?***** -What's that noise?_


End file.
